Amusement device



May 5, 1931. L. LA R'lzzA 1,803,397

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed April 5, 1930 @WMM/mf Patented May 5, 1931 LoUrs LA Rizza, lor aEvEitE; ianssncnusnfrrs f v.aumsnirrm'rnnvrkm Application led April 3,

The chief object of this invention is to provide an amusement device comprising a movable body having a plurality of spaced y apart stations, such as seats, for passengers,

and mechanism for moving said body in such manner as to impart to each station or seat an orbital movement in a vertical plane, so that each passenger isalternately raised and lowered while moving in an orbital path, l0 and experiences a thrill.

Other objects will' hereinafter appear.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciiicatiom- Y Figure 1 is a side view of a single body amusement device embodying the invention,

the body being raised.

Figures 2 and 3 are fragmentary side views, showing the Vend portions of the body, Figure 2 showing the body partly lowered, and

Figure 3, completely lowered.

Figure 4 is a top plan View, showing a device including two bodies, one shown only in part.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing one body fully lowered.

FigureV 6 is a transverse section showing both bodies in'full.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.V

12 designates a movable body having a plurality of spaced apart stations 13, for pas sengers carried by the body, said stations being seats in this instance.

The body is supported by operating mechanism organized to alternately raise and lower the body and move it endwise in such manner as to impart to each station an 0rbital movement in a vertical plane, each sta- .tion and a passenger therea-t being moved in 4 an orbit designated by the arrows 14, shown in Figure 1, each passenger being moved in a like orbit. l

The body may be of any desired form, and

as here shown simulates a frog, the body being hollow and having a iioor 15, supporting the stations 13. The midlength portion of the floor may be supported by a longitudinal bar 16, iiXed to end portions of the body, land a strut 17 extending between the bar and the lioor.

19st. rserial iro. 441,410;

Said Voperating "mechanism includes two, spaced apart horizontal."crfa'nkshafts, eachf composed Aof alined members 18, joiirnaled if; need bearings 19, and crank sans 2o faire l necesa by horizontil` wristpins 21, jilmljea ss" 1n bearings V22, `on1the "opposite endl portionsl ofthe body. yIn this instance, tliebeaing'sf 22 '.ar`e in body *members-23 simulating theY forwardand rear legs of a frog. 1Thec'lrfafnli shaft wassociated withfthe Aforwardflgs. ilsGl' hereinafter vcalled the forward crankshaft, andtheiother the rear crankshaft. f

v Said crank shaftsy are rotated, and their wristpins: revolved in unison Vby ainotr "24 andtorque-transmitting connectionsbetween the Vmotor andthe crank shafts.

e In the embodiment Shown 'by -Figre Linie" device, includes only lone body 1.2.

torque-'transmitting connections in this e stance, include. sprocket wheels 25,2 5,'iied 7W to lthe v'forward and rear crank shafts, 4`asprocket chain '26, connecting saidwheels, an intermediate'shaft27 ournaled infiXedLbear ings; 28, and having -a y sprocket wheel 29 ien! gagd'withithe chain 26fa1id another sprockti ,75 i

wheel 30, connected by a chainV 31 with ja sprocket wheel on the shaft of the motor 24.

The body is maintained in a horizontal'po-f- Y sijtion`alnd alternately raised as indicatedfby Figure V1, and lowered as Vindicated by Figlso A ures 2 andl 3, so that theY describedorbitali4 movement is imparted to the stations 12,1the orbitsof saidistations being alike.

aFo'r. spectacular effect the Vfront end por-V tion` 'ofthe body may simulateahead includ- "35.17

ingia jaw 35, fired to the body, and a mov able` jaw-37, pivoted at 38 to the body, movable-jaw-'opening and closingmechanism be'- ing Yprovided organized toV open the movable jaw when the body is moved in one direc tion, 'andclose said jaw when thev body is' moved in the `opposite direction'.

Said mechanism in this instance, comprises arigid member 39, having a curved andin-`V f clined cam face 40, anarm member 41, fixedv l tothe lowelr jaw, and having a runner, such asa trundle roll42, movable Von said cam facejto Open 'the lower jaw when the vbody moving downward, and means, such as a spring 43 (Figure 2) adapted to automatition, and close said jaw when the body is cally close the lower jaw when the body is moving in an opposite direction.

moving upward.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my Figures 4 and 6 show two bodies l2, losignature.

cated side by side, and torque-transmitting connections between the motor 24 and the crank shafts associated with said bodies, the arrangement of the crank shaft wrist-pins and of the torque-transmitting connections being such that each body is caused to descend while the other is rising, so that each body counterbalances the other, an object being to minimize the driving power required and enable the device to run more smoothly.

Each crank shaft is extended and includes two wrist-pins 2l, one being offset from the crank axis oppositely from that of the other, as shown by Figure 6. The torque-transmitting connections in this instance include an intermediate shaft 45, journaled in iXed bearings 46 and having a sprocket wheel 47, driven through a chain 4S (Figure 6) by the motor 24, and two other sprocket wheels 49 and 50, one connected by a chain 51 (Figure 4) with a sprocket wheel 52 on the rear crank shaft, and the other by a chain 53 with a sprocket wheel 54 on the forward crank shaft.

I claim:

1. An amusement device comprising a movable body having a plurality of spaced apart stations for passengers, and operating mechanism organized to raise and lower the body and impart to each station an orbital movement in a vertical plane, said mechanism including forward and rear horizontal crank shafts journaled in fixed bearings and having offset wrist-pins journaled in bearings on end portions of the body, a motor, and torque-transmitting connections between it and the crank shafts, adapted to rotate said shafts and revolve their wrist-pins in unison.

2. An amusement device comprising two movable bodies located side by side, each having spaced apart stations for passengers, and operating mechanism organized to raise and lower each body and impart to each station an orbital movement in a vertical plane, said mechanism including forward and rear horizontal crank shafts journaled in fixed bearings and having offset wrist-pins journaled in bearings on end portions of said bodies, a motor, and torque-transmitting connections between the motor and said crank shafts, adapted to rotate said shafts and revolve their .wrist-pins in unison, the arrangement of the crank shafts and their wrist-pins being such that each body descends while the other rises, so that each body counterbalances the other.

3. An amusement apparatus as specified by claim 1, said body having an end portion simulating a head and including a jaw fixed to the body, and a movable j aw pivoted to the body, and movable jaw-opening and closing mechanism organized to open the movable 1law when the body is moving in one direc- 

